In light of recent events, the Hampshire College Board of Trustees released information regarding the admittance of a limited Fall 2019 class on Feb. 1. The Board voted to authorize the College to admit two distinct categories of applicants this fall: students who accepted Hampshire’s offer to enroll through Early Decision I and students who accepted Hampshire’s offer of admission last year but chose to take a gap year and defer their enrollment to Fall 2019. The Board also announced that Hampshire will not enroll any other applicants for Fall 2019 or Spring 2020.

President Miriam Nelson of Hampshire College announced the school’s decision to seek out a long-term partner to ensure their financial sustainability on Tuesday, Jan. 15. Hampshire’s leadership is also “carefully considering whether to enroll an incoming class this fall,” according to the official statement released by their senior administration. Nelson insisted that while change is underfoot, Hampshire has no intention of closing its doors.

On Nov. 13, in the John Quincy Adams Residence Hall at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (UMass), a student’s door was defaced with homophobic and transphobic slurs as well as a swastika. The University of Massachusetts, Amherst Police Department (UMPD) investigated the event and the school sent out an email denouncing the act.

Mount Holyoke faculty have joined together to create a campus-wide policy prohibiting all romantic relationships between faculty and students. Pre-existing faculty-student relationships must also be disclosed to the College under the new policy. Mount Holyoke joins a growing number of institutions in updating these policies, including, the UMass, Amherst, which recently announced an immediately effective policy barring all faculty-student relationships on its campus.

On Tuesday March 27, the town of Amherst voted to implement a new form of government. A charter in favor of replacing the current system, a 240-member town meeting, with a 13-member city council passed in a popular vote, 3,476 to 2,468.

A group of approximately 20 to 30 protesters gathered outside the Old Chapel on the UMass Amherst campus last Monday, holding signs and chanting. “FUND PUBLIC TRANSIT,” one sign read. “PUBLIC TRANSIT IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE,” said another.

George A. Corey, M.D., executive director of the UMass Amherst Health Services, declared an outbreak of meningitis B on the UMass Amherst campus on Nov. 28. Now the Mount Holyoke administration is urging students to get vaccinated against the disease.

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey addressed an assembly full of college students and community members alike at her town hall meeting on Monday night, located on the University of Massachusetts, Amherst campus and hosted by the student Democrats Association and political science department.

Early last week, a noose was found on Amherst College’s Pratt Football Field, setting the campus on edge and prompting a police investigation. According to police, the noose was placed there on either Sept. 4 or 5.

Mammoths will be soon be stampeding into the Pioneer Valley, joining the Lyons, Pioneers and Minutemen. No, this isn’t a remake of the Wizard of Oz — Amherst College has announced that the Mammoth will be its new mascot.

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren will be visiting Mount Holyoke to discuss her book, “This Fight is Our Fight: The Battle to Save America’s Middle Class” on Friday, April 21 in Chapin Auditorium at 7 p.m.

By 7:40 p.m. on Friday, March 24, the pews of Amherst College’s Johnson Chapel were nearly full. A crystal chandelier hung above guests’ heads as they filed into the room, shuffling across the red carpet to their seats. Students, faculty, alumni and community members alike had gathered to hear from, Dr. Cornell William Brooks.

On Saint Patrick’s Day, the evening of the Super Bowl or even just a sunny Saturday afternoon in the spring semester, University of Massachusetts, Amherst students can often be found celebrating outdoors.

Hampshire College became the site of protest by outraged veterans and community members this weekend when school officials decided to remove the American flag from the flagpole after a student reportedly stole and burned it.

Senior David Lander of the Amherst College men’s soccer team made waves across the internet recently with a Huffington Post article that garnered over 39,000 shares on social media. The topic in question was “locker room talk,” a phrase presidential candidate Donald Trump used to dismiss his boasts about touching women without their consent in the 2005 videotape released by the Washington Post.

Reflections and discussions about racism which started at Hampshire College last semester are continuing as their president, Jonathan Lash, declared the week of Oct. 24 a time to focus on their mission to counteract racism and to support communities of color.

Construction continues at Smith College as the college works to revitalize a new entrance gate at College Lane and Elm Street. The entrance marker project is in its second phase, which includes construction of a new sign and other utility work.